Caroline Brownfield Holt, whose business is called Bent Sticks Basketry, began her journey into basket weaving about three years ago while she was camping and happened upon a basket-weaving class hosted by the Wailaki Tribe. She and her eldest granddaughter spent two days learning the art of basket weaving and she says her love for it began on that day.

The day after her camping trip, she and her granddaughter bought materials in order to continue weaving; however, after many attempts, she felt something was off.

”It just didn’t feel as genuine as it should have, something was missing,” said Holt. She began doing her own research online and from books acquired from friends and local bookstores, and became intrigued about the traditional ways of basket weaving, such as finding local materials and the practice of soaking the vines and sticks before use.

Holt prefers to use materials she finds herself, continuing to stay away from any store-bought items.

”This is the way our ancestors did it,” she said, “and I want to keep up the spirit of that.”

Her preferred materials are willow and shed horns from elk and deer.

”I prefer these materials because they are unique and I love finding new ways to use them,” she said. She also has practice using ivy, wild raspberry vine, tule, wild grapevine, deergrass, pine needles, rushes and roots. She hopes to continue to expand her knowledge of plants and use other materials as she gains experience and practice.

Holt grew up in Humboldt County and her grandchildren mark the fifth generation of her family to all grow up here. She currently lives in Fortuna down the street from her youngest son, and is mostly self-taught other than the class she goes to once a year — the same one she happened upon at the start of her journey.

This year she has been invited to teach how to weave baskets at the next multi-cultural camp session and will demonstrate how to weave her coiled pine needle basket. The camp is open to the public and will be held July 13 to 17 at Cuneo Creek horse campground at Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

She is looking to start classes in her home and is also offering to create custom baskets for others using their own found materials such as shed horns. For more information, contact Holt via her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bentsticksbasketry, her website at www.bentsticksbasketry.com, or on her cell phone at 601-0462.